ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: land · bat · ball · track · saw · club · pitcher · bound

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. saw — the tool
  3. ball — a dance
  4. club — a group
  5. bat — the animal
  6. bound — tied together
  7. saw — the tool
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. track — a path
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. land — a country
  12. land — to come down
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. club — for dancing
  16. ball — a great time
  17. track — a song
  18. club — for golf
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. track — to keep track
  21. bound — certain
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. bound — obliged
  24. land — ground

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com